Shadows and Wind
by spiritedarray
Summary: My contribution to ShikaTema Week 2017. Prompts are: War, Transformation, Nature, Ready, Marriage, Lights and Glass. One-shot series. ShikaTema
1. War

**A/N:** Hello lovely people - ShikaTema Week is here! As a result, this will be a seven-part fic based on this year's prompts. For more ShikaTema work, you can head over to my profile where I have a few one-shots and ongoing stories for this amazing pairing (I love them more than my own life lol). Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** Still far too poor to own _Naruto_ , but hey, maybe one of these days...

* * *

 _Light._

It flooded everything in an instant; she felt the warmth of the sun on her skin, the soft breeze in the middle of the battlefield, the smell of earth and ash and blood. The landscape she was greeted by was far from a utopia, but it was there. It was real. A physical, tangible reality that she readjusted to instinctively, for this was where she belonged - not in a dream concocted in the depths of her mind but in the midst of conflict. Not because she inherently enjoyed war - no one besides a sadist would say that - but it reminded her that she was fighting for something, that she had a purpose. That she could be strong and resilient and useful, but most of all, that she could be compassionate.

 _Shikamaru._

She looked around as the rest of the world awoke from their own cocoons of illusion. She witnessed the joy of reunions, the relief of waking up, the gratitude at being alive. But he was nowhere to be found. She was terrified.

"Temari!"

She turned sharply to see Kankuro race towards her. "Thank God you're alright," he said on his approach.

Without a word, she hugged him, tighter than she'd ever done before and for much longer than she'd usually be comfortable with. "I'm glad you're okay," she smiled into his shoulder.

"Temari. Kankuro."

They parted and there was their youngest sibling, riding towards them on a wave of sand. His arms were folded across his chest as usual and he wore a stoic look on his face, but Temari would not let him act so cool in front of them. As soon as he descended to the ground within her reach, she clung onto him.

"Good job, Commander," she whispered, ruffling his brilliant red hair as she held him to her.

"Are you both okay? Any injuries?"

"I can't speak for Kankuro, but I'm fine," Temari replied. "Just exhausted, mentally and physically."

"Yeah, can't say I'm in the best shape, but nothing worth hospital treatment," Kankuro added. "You should see how the other leaders are doing."

Gaara nodded. "Take care of yourselves."

"Be safe," Temari called after him.

Kankuro sighed and they merely looked at each other for a few moments before he grew impatient with the silence. "Go."

"Huh? Where?"

"Where do you think?" he scoffed. "To that smartass from Konoha."

She was personally offended. "What makes you think I'd consider doing that?"

"You have the same look on your face as you do when you're worried about someone you care for. And now that you know Gaara and I are fine, the only other person you care about enough to pull that long face for is Shikamaru Nara."

"That's not true," she defended herself. "I'd be upset if Baki was hurt."

"You'd never show it," Kankuro teased. "Mainly because he'd never let you live it down."

"What makes you think that Shikamaru would?"

"You call him a 'crybaby' all the time."

"What are you trying to say-"

"Stop wasting air on me and go find him."

"I'm sure he's fine..."

"Go."

She rolled her eyes and darted off towards the Konoha frontlines. Secretly, she was thankful; this was the one time Kankuro had been stubborn and beaten her at her own game, not that she put up much of a fight. This time, she wouldn't let her pride get in the way of what was important. Of _who_ was important.

When she saw him, supported by Choji and Ino, she felt relief wash through her. He was safe, and though drained of colour and energy, medically stable. But to her surprise and disappointment, he didn't smirk when he saw her coming. He barely acknowledged her when she stood in front of him. Comforting others was foreign to her, so she searched for some way of conversing that would help them settle back into their familiar dynamic.

"You've looked worse, Nara."

He merely looked at her. "Temari."

"Are you okay?" Ino asked.

"Me? I'm fine. Better than fine. I could do with a trip to the hotsprings, but other than that, I have nothing to complain about." She observed his gangly figure slouching, caving under its own weight, his arms merely dangling over the shoulders of his teammates. "What's wrong with the crybaby?"

"What do you think?" Shikamaru retorted, with more malice than she'd expected. "I nearly died after being drained of my chakra for that goddamn tree."

She was visibly shocked. "You...nearly...died?"

"Naruto's chakra cloak saved him," Choji mentioned.

"He looked terrible before that," Ino added. "His face was all gaunt and pale, as if he were starving."

Temari couldn't bear to imagine it. She was almost glad she wasn't there to witness it, as she probably would have fallen apart and been utterly useless afterwards. But at the same time, she felt an intense guilt that he had been on his deathbed and she had absolutely no idea.

"What's with that look?" Shikamaru grumbled.

"Huh?" Temari asked.

"You're grimacing," he clarified.

She quickly straightened out her expression. "You're a genius. Figure it out," she replied curtly.

"Don't tell me," he smirked. "You were gonna cry for me?"

"In your dreams, Nara," she scoffed. "That's your job."

He smiled a little, then he looked at her more solemnly. "Would you have cried if I'd been dead?"

She looked at him, bewildered. "Why would you say that?"

"Just posing a hypothetical," he murmured.

"Don't be so insensitive," she snapped. "We're still on a battlefield, you know."

" _I'm_ the insensitive one?" he repeated incredulously.

"Both of you, stop it," Ino interrupted. "Now is not the time for one of your spats."

"Ino's right," Choji added. "Temari-san, maybe it's best if you go."

"With pleasure," she responded flatly, turning on her heel to leave.

"Later," was Shikamaru's apathetic dismissal. It was enough to trigger the prickling of tears in Temari's eyes; how could he let them part on such terms? How could she let that happen? In her mind, she had every right to walk away. She should feel justified in leaving him to breed bitterness on his own. But the smallest part of her was more upset that he didn't seem to see her at all. His eyes were always empty, his words hollow and unfeeling; in an almost masochistic way, he'd given her the cold shoulder and been aware of it. Did he realise how he was treating her? Probably not. But that did nothing to appease her hurt all the same.

* * *

"Hey."

She looked up, and there he was, his signature smirk replaced with a gentle expression that communicated the sincerity of his apology.

"How'd you end up in the medical tent?" he asked.

"Turns out I'm less fine than I thought I was," she shrugged. "Mild chakra exhaustion, that's all."

"Huh," he mused, thinking about his own near-death experience. "How ironic."

"Truly."

He sat beside her bed, eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"I know I was a little standoffish earlier. I shouldn't have talked to you like that."

"It's okay, Nara," she acquiesced. "I was being tactless. You've been through hell and back; and I'm not good at this kind of thing, you know?"

"None of us are," he replied. "Our generation had grown up without knowing war. So we're all dealing with it in our own ways."

Little did she know it, she was looking at him with kind, sympathetic eyes. "Your dad would be proud."

" _Would_ be," he repeated quietly, refusing to meet her gaze. He felt his face crease with sadness and anger. "I wish he was here to tell me himself."

"He is," she insisted. "He lives on inside of you. It's your duty to continue his legacy."

That caught his attention. He looked up, and his eyes connected with hers. He could see the determination and belief burning deep into the brilliant teal of her irises. "I don't know if I'm ready for that," he admitted.

"I know you couldn't see yourself during this war, but you are made of everything a leader needs. I even found myself thinking at one point, "He could be a great Hokage", and I know you'd find the paperwork too troublesome and you're not one for attention or fame, but if you've led a whole division in a war, and you could lead a whole village if you wanted to, I'm confident you can lead your clan better than anyone could."

He stared at her for a moment, assimilating her words, realising that she had wholehearted faith in him; and it was moving to know. This woman, the cruelest kunoichi he'd ever met, was smiling at him with hope and trust and admiration written across her face. It almost scared him.

"Can I get that in writing?" he quipped.

She reached forward and smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't be an ass about it, Nara."

"Okay, okay," he chuckled. "I guess I'll do it."

"You _guess_ you'll do it?"

"On one condition."

She looked at him sceptically. "And what would that be?"

"I need you to be there with me, helping me through it all."

Her eyes widened with realisation and she felt an unstoppable blush flood her cheeks. She quickly straightened out her expression and said, "If you get complacent, I won't hesitate to kick your ass."

He grinned back at her. "I wouldn't have it any other way."


	2. Transformation

"I'm thinking about growing a goatee."

She looked up from the dinner table and met his pondering gaze with a sceptical one of her own.

"A goatee? Really?"

"Yeah, why not?" he mused. "I think I'll look a little more 'advisor-esque' with it."

"Everyone already knows you're a shoo-in for the next Hokage advisor," she responded, transferring more food into her bowl. "Why do you need some facial hair to prove it?"

"Well, my old man had one," he explained sheepishly. "I guess I'll feel more adult with it, like I'll somehow be able to live up to his legacy."

"That's bullshit, Shikamaru, and you know it," she grinned. "You just think it'll make you look cool."

"You got me."

* * *

He examined the progress in the bathroom mirror, smiling as he began to see more of his dad's image in himself.

"Shave it."

"Eh?" He spotted his wife standing behind him, rolling her eyes at his apparent vanity.

"You looked better before," she said bluntly. "Besides, it tickles."

He raised an eyebrow, turning to face her rather than her reflection. "Is that so?"

"Think about it. It's always brushing against my skin when we..." she trailed off suggestively. "... _kiss_."

"Huh. Judging by your reactions last night, you seemed to enjoy it-"

"Just shave it," she snapped irritably. "Or you'll start getting food stuck in it."

* * *

She stroked her thumb along the smooth skin of his chin and sighed.

"You're gonna grow the goatee again, aren't you?"

He smiled, holding her closer against his chest. "Only if you're on board with it."

She shook her head. "I was joking before. I don't mind it." She kissed his jawline softly, chuckling to herself. "You really care that much about what I think?"

"Well, it's not just for me, is it?" he winked. "If it tickles _that badly_..."

"Oh, it tickles," she confirmed. "...but in a _good_ way, I guess..."

"I knew it," he laughed.

* * *

"Don't tell me the goatee's back," Ino muttered. "He looks like a pencil with that thing."

"I thought so too at first," Temari laughed. "But now that he's grown it out properly, he almost looks more dependable."

"Well, that can't hurt," Sakura smiled. "Guess he's finally moved past his lazy, disinterested ways."

"Trust me, he's still as lazy as ever sometimes."

"Poor Temari," Ino sighed. "You probably do all the work in bed, right?"

"Oh, _no_ ," she said emphatically. " _That's_ the one time he's _not_ a lazy ass."


	3. Nature

"Here we are."

Slowly, he lifted his hands from over her eyes, finally allowing her to take in her surroundings. Immediately the scent of pine and fresh air filled her system; everything in sight was lush and green, abundant with flora and life. Her deep teal eyes reflected the sunlight into the forest, and he simply stood back and admired how attuned she was to her environment, smiling at the look of pure wonder painted on her face.

"Welcome to the Nara Forest," he said softly.

"The Nara Forest?" she said incredulously. "I thought I couldn't be in here?"

"Not without permission," he explained. "But I figured it was about time you came. It's the only place in Konoha I haven't shown you yet, and I imagine you don't see a lot of greenery in Suna."

"Mm," she nodded. Suddenly her eyes widened as a large stag emerged from behind a tree, round eyes clearly fixed on the stranger before it. She flinched under its gaze, stepping behind Shikamaru cautiously.

"Relax," he chuckled. "He knows you're with me." Gently, he took her hand and pulled her towards the deer. As they approached, she let him lead, anxious that one wrong move could lead to the creature charging at her.

Shikamaru reached out his free arm and stroked the deer's nose. "Hey, buddy," he whispered. "See this troublesome woman beside me?" He raised their linked hands into the animal's view. "This is Temari of the Sand. We like her, okay?"

"We do?" she raised an eyebrow at him. "That's good to hear."

"Maybe we love her," he murmured. "We'll see."

She looked away, a deep blush staining her cheeks.

"Don't be afraid," he said, before quickly adding, "You can stroke him."

Tentatively, she laid her free hand on the back of the stag's neck and ran it along the soft auburn hair that extended towards its back. To her amazement, it lowered its head towards her in contentment and affection.

"He likes you," Shikamaru grinned. "Not that I'm surprised at all."

"Well, I like you, too," she cooed. "Thanks for welcoming me."

"Why don't _I_ get this kind of treatment?" he complained jokingly. "You've known him for all of five minutes and already he's being _fawned_ over."

"Har har," she grimaced at his terrible wordplay. "I _guess_ I like his protector too. Though he's not funny at all."

He pulled a miserable face, at which she rolled her eyes, unimpressed. Then he caught her off guard with a quick pressing of his lips to hers, and once again, her gaze dropped to the floor in embarrassment.

"Maybe we love him," she said under her breath. "We'll see."


	4. Ready

**A/N:** Inspired by the song 'Already Love' by Great Good Fine Ok - listen to/read the lyrics for a better understanding of this one-shot ^-^

* * *

Three dates later and the status of their relationship was still very much unclear; the dinner conversation rarely extended beyond work and Shikamaru felt both guilty and embarrassed each time he prattled on about business matters, walked her home and left without kissing her. He was a coward, and he knew it; he had wanted to do the latter for an inexplicably long time now, but he was also acutely aware of how dangerous making any kind of physical move on this woman was. Unlike the average, delicate, demure woman he'd once sought, it was well within her capacity and interest to kick his ass if he misread the situation. On top of all that, they were colleagues; his burgeoning feelings threatened to disrupt their usual dynamic, and he'd be damned if he let poor foresight render the rest of their formal time together unbearably awkward.

And yet, underneath all his logic and reasoning, he knew full-well that he had fallen deep and fallen hard...into what, he tried not to mull over too much. If he allowed himself to acknowledge the strange emotional attachment he'd developed to this frighteningly alluring woman, he would...

No. Why was he even considering shying away from it anymore? If he didn't act soon, she would return to being three days too far from him, for who knows how long. Worse, someone else could beat him to the punch - or the kiss, for that matter. Without a shadow of a doubt, there were many other men who had their eyes on the Kazekage's sister, and the fact that she had agreed to not one, not two, but threedates with him meant that - even if it was just for now - she had chosen him. He couldn't take that for granted.

"Thank you for dinner," she had smiled as they arrived at her door once more, after their third date. Then she'd added, "It was a nice way to end my time in Konoha."

"It's no problem," he replied nonchalantly. Registering the last part, he asked, "When are you coming back?"

"I'm not sure," she responded. "Unless the Hokage or Kazekage make a request, I imagine it won't be until the next Chunin Exams."

Three months, huh? he'd thought to himself. Something about it didn't sit well with him. A quarter of a year without her nagging and prodding him...somehow, that seemed less positive than he'd always envisioned it to be.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning to walk you to the gate."

The slightest trace of disappointment had crossed her face, and it didn't go unnoticed. But he'd stood there, like an idiot, at a loss for what else there was to say.

"Do you want to come inside?"

Those were the last words he'd expected to come out of her mouth. Usually by this point, she'd anticipated the natural lull in their conversation and would bid him goodnight, but this night, it had seemed that she wasn't quite ready to give up her time with him just yet.

That hadn't stopped him from being an idiot, of course.

"I should probably turn in for the night," he said, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "My mom'll give me hell if I'm not back soon, and I need to be up early tomorrow."

Hurt had flashed in her eyes momentarily, to which he was utterly oblivious. She'd sighed and muttered, "Okay. See you then, Nara." As she closed the door, she'd echoed, "Thanks again for dinner."

The door had closed before he had time to utter, "It's my pleasure." He'd stood, facing her apartment, wondering why he was being his own worst enemy. How much longer was she willing to put up with it? If he were her, he'd definitely have abandoned any prospects by now, deeming the whole thing too "troublesome".

He'd laid in his bed for an hour, arms folded behind his head as he stared at the ceiling in contemplation. There were very few things Shikamaru Nara lost sleep over in his life, and for her to be one of them - and not because he was worried she'd beat the living daylight out of him - had to mean something.

Really, he'd known it for a long time. But that didn't matter if the one person who needed to know, didn't.

So he'd ran to her house nearing midnight, rapping on her door hastily. When she opened it, looking thoroughly unimpressed, he knew it was now or never.

"Nara? What do you want?"

"You," he breathed.

"Are you crazy?" she hissed. "Go to sleep. It's getting late."

"I'm sorry," he panted, leaning against the doorframe to catch his breath. "I've wasted a lot of time already, and I don't know if I'd forgive myself for wasting any more." He straightened up and exhaled slowly. "Don't go."

"Aren't you supposed to be a genius?" she said scathingly. "Make some sense."

"Don't go back to Suna," he reaffirmed. "Stay here. Be with me."

Her eyes widened when she finally grasped the weight of his words. "Be with you?" she whispered.

"I don't think I've been very good at making it obvious, but I like you, Temari," he said, gaze unwavering. "I just don't know a lot about relationships as they go, but I don't think this is one for giving up on." He took a step towards her so there was less than half-a-metre of distance between them. "So stay. Even for a little while. Let's make this work."

"You're not thinking straight," she rebuffed him. "We've both got work to do in our own villages, remember? I like hanging out with you, Shikamaru. I wouldn't go on dinner dates with you if I didn't enjoy your company. But neither of us are ready to make that kind of commitment, don't you think?"

"If I get to see you at the end of the three days, it's worth it."

"Don't," she said softly. "Don't make this hard for me, okay?"

"Temari, I l-"

"Goodnight, Shikamaru," she half-smiled, closing the door on him yet again.

* * *

"I'm going to ask you again," he finally spoke when they reached the village gates. "Stay."

"No."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"No, I don't."

"If you think this is a good way of convincing me, you're sorely mistaken-"

He interrupted her with his lips on hers. It lasted a mere second, but it was enough to stop time altogether.

"Convinced?" he queried.

She said nothing, instead turning away from him and walking past the village border. "You're an ass," she called behind her, still facing forward.

He smiled to himself. He knew that once she started avoiding his questions altogether, it was only a matter of time.

Only a matter of time until she was ready.

* * *

"Lady Temari, you have a visitor from the Leaf."

"Send them in."

She immediately regretted her decision when she saw the person who was entering.

"I don't believe you," she muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to assist the Hokage, who's meeting with your brother at the moment," he explained. "That good enough for you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Welcome to Sunagakure. Enjoy the sights. Spoiler alert, it's just sand. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"Don't be like this, Temari. Aren't you at least a little happy to see me?"

"The thought of you being in this office didn't occur to me until you stepped in thirty seconds ago, so forgive me if I haven't had time to decide how I feel about it yet."

"Ouch," he chuckled. "Do you treat everyone you love like this?"

"Only the lucky ones-" she stopped right in her tracks upon fully registering his question. "Get out."

"Temari..."

"OUT!" she snapped, getting up so she could push him out of the door herself.

"If it's any consolation, I love you too-" he grinned as she slammed it in his face.

* * *

She'd managed to successfully avoid him in person for the rest of his visit, although that didn't stop the letters that came in periodically afterwards.

 _Temari,_

 _Come back. We don't even have to talk. You can just slap me if you want to._

 _Shikamaru_

* * *

 _Temari,_

 _Stop being so damn troublesome and just write to me already. The wait is killing me._

 _Shikamaru_

* * *

 _Temari,_

 _Have some flowers. I heard these are your favourite._

 _I know you're scared, and in denial, and I know this because that's how I was, too. But have you ever seen me motivated to do anything? Not when it comes to this kind of thing, anyway. Take it as a compliment. I'm not just doing all this because I want to piss you the hell off, because as much as I love doing that, I love you more. I know you're thinking, what the hell is love, anyway? I thought about it for a while, too. I realised that watching you leave, and having this physical distance between us, it hurt. I sit here missing you, wondering if there's even a tiny part of you that misses me, too. I want to kiss you better than I did the first and last time, I want to hear you tell me how I'm not pulling my weight and I'm wasting my potential. You frustrate me in many ways, of course, but you also make everything feel lighter. Better. It's better with you here, Temari._

 _I'm ready when you are._

 _Shikamaru_

 _P.S. Happy birthday, troublesome._

* * *

He awoke to loud, impatient banging on his door.

 _You've gotta be kidding me,_ he groaned internally, propping himself upright and reaching for the nearest t-shirt and sweatpants. _Who in God's name is up at this time in the morning?_

The banging persisted as he clothed himself.

"Just a sec!" he yelled, tying his hair up hastily. _This better be fucking important._

He stumbled towards the front door and yanked it open to see her standing there, immaculately dressed, smiling at him.

"Happy birthday," she greeted him. "I thought I'd return the favour." She handed him a bouquet of flowers and he awkwardly accepted them with as much masculine grace as he could muster.

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "You could've just sent a card," he deadpanned.

"I wanted to add a personal touch."

"I figured."

They looked at each other for a moment. Usually, it was easy for one to read the other, but in this instant, neither of them were giving away the game.

After a while, she spoke.

"I'm ready," she said simply, then looked him up and down. "Are you?"


	5. Marriage

"Congratulations!" Ino squealed when she'd finally gotten her hands on the newlyweds.

"Yeah, it's about time," Choji nodded. "Only took you guys three years of being engaged!"

"I'll let you in on a secret," Shikamaru whispered to his best friend. "We've been married for a year."

" _WHAT?!_ " Choji exclaimed, loud enough for most of the room to turn around.

"Please, go back to dancing and mingling," Shikamaru smiled at his guests. "I was playing a joke on my best man, here." They all seemed to understand and returned to their hive of activity.

"What's all this about?" Ino complained, feeling very excluded from the situation despite hanging on the arm of the bride.

Shikamaru and Temari exchanged a look, then the latter calmly said, "This 'wedding' is more of a vow renewal service than anything. We were actually married this day last year."

The couple were sure they heard Ino's jaw hit the floor in shock. " _How?! Why?!_ "

Temari studied her husband's face, then replied, "I'm not sure."

* * *

"Let's get married."

She didn't even have the courtesy to look up from her book. "You're crazy."

"That doesn't make any sense," he grumbled. "You accepted my proposal two years ago. Surely a wedding would be the logical next step?"

She closed her reading material and her eyes locked hard onto his. "You're right, I accepted your proposal _two years ago_. If we haven't gotten married yet, why should we now?"

"Well, first of all, I still love you and want to be with you for the rest of my life," he muttered. "I should hope that's reciprocated."

She laughed. "If you're lucky."

He chose to ignore that. "Second of all, it's an important inter-village matter. We should take that into consideration."

"Fine." She got up, grabbed his arm and yanked him towards the door. "Let's go."

"Wait, _now?!_ Tonight?!" he said hastily. "Why?!"

A familiar smirk fell upon her face. "Well, why not?"


	6. Lights

He was stumbling back home from a night out, Naruto and Choji in tow. It had been some time since he'd caught up with the Konoha boys, since he was busy assisting the Sixth, Naruto was away on missions having recently been promoted to jonin, and Choji had a genin team to take care of. He wondered why they didn't make more time to see each other; then he remembered that they would probably end up in this state each time, and the Shikamaru from the following morning would almost definitely curse his past self.

In the darkness, a dingy, yellow light leaked out onto the pavement where the three were walking; Shikamaru looked up to see a silhouette enshrouded in the warm glow of the office where he often sat to organise the Chunin Exams. It was no mystery to him who was inside.

"You guys go on ahead," Shikamaru half-slurred. He was sobering up, but the liquor still seemed to cling to his lips and render their movement clumsy. "I think I left something important up there."

"Dude, it's Friday night!" Naruto complained. "You're not seriously thinking of working over the weekend?"

"A Hokage's job is never done, and therefore, neither is mine," Shikamaru said morosely. "Something we can both look forward to in the future, right, buddy?"

A look of fear flashed across the blond's face. "Well, it was nice seeing you, Shikamaru!" he said quickly, before he and Choji disappeared into the night.

* * *

"Knock knock."

She nearly fell off her seat. "What the hell are you doing here, Nara?"

"The lights were on," he said matter-of-factly. "I just wondered why you were here so late."

"Paperwork, naturally," she explained, pointing to the small mountain sitting on one side of her desk. On the other was a slightly taller mountain of completed documents. This was a woman of great efficiency, after all. As he moved towards her, she leaned back in her chair. "Have you been drinking, Nara? You reek of alcohol."

"Maybe," he half-smiled, approaching her desk and perching on the end of it.

"At least one of us had fun tonight," she mused. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd rather get these finished sooner than later."

"I'll help you," he offered, reaching for the next form on the pile.

"Ha!" she scoffed, slapping his hand away. "Like I'd let you in your condition. One mistake is enough to cost me my job."

"That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?"

"I'm not taking any chances." She stamped the piece of paper in front of her and sighed, realising that by the level of attention he was paying to her at this moment, he was unlikely to leave anytime soon. "Here." She pulled out a pack of manila folders from the middle drawer of her desk and dropped it into his lap. "You can file the finished paperwork. One form per folder. Think you handle that, Nara?"

"In my sleep," he grinned cockily, tearing off the plastic packaging. "Although to assign me such an elementary task hurts my pride. I'm still more coherent when I'm tipsy than most people are when they're sober, you know."

"Finish the job first, then you can talk," she muttered, eyes returning to the printed sheet in front of her.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

The next morning, her eyes fluttered open to see him slumped over her desk, having pulled up a chair at some point during the night. His ponytail had loosened, so that pieces of dark hair trailed over his arms and tickled her skin. When she noticed this sensation, she then clocked his fingers resting on her cheek, as if he'd fallen asleep while stroking her face. Somehow, they'd ended up drifting off opposite each other; his tranquil face was so close to her own, she could study every feature in perfect detail, like his jagged hairline, the sharp corners of his eyes, and the long, narrow bridge of his nose. Suddenly it occurred to her just what was happening and she shot upright, causing his arm to flop backwards and hit him in the face.

"Ow," he grumbled. "What was _that_ for?"

"That was your own hand," she rebutted. "It's your fault that it was against my cheek! How else was I supposed to react?"

"Guess we must've dozed off like this," he said lazily, sitting up and leaning his neck from one side to the other, grimacing as he did so. "Explains why every muscle in my body feels decrepit."

"I can't believe I fell asleep at work again," she muttered.

"'Again'?" he repeated. "How many times has this happened?"

"Three or four."

"Temari," he admonished her. "You need to get some rest, in a proper bed. This is gonna be bad for your spine in the long term."

"I know," she admitted. "This time I've dragged you into it, as well."

"That was my own doing. Doesn't help that my head feels like it's going to split in two."

"Well, we got all the work done," she pointed out, indicating the neatly stacked folders beside her desk. "I guess it means we can breathe a little during the weekend."

"You can, at least," he nodded. "I screwed myself by drinking too much last night, and now I doubt I'll be productive at all."

"I know I push you a lot, Shikamaru, so you'll be glad to hear me say that I think you should take it easy," she chuckled. "For today, at least. Everyone knows you'll be the right-hand man when Naruto becomes Hokage. There's no need to overwork yourself."

"I wish I could've recorded that," he smirked. "You'll deny ever saying that, otherwise."

She smiled. "Thanks for your help, Nara. I'm gonna go home and shower."

"Sure. I'll see you on Monday."

* * *

The next week, he was walking home from a last-minute Nara Clan meeting when the same pool of yellow light appeared in his path. He glanced up, and the same silhouette with the same two ponytails was sitting next to the window.

"Still up?"

She lifted her gaze from the table to meet his. "I could ask you the same question."

"Clan meeting," he threw into the void. "Paperwork?"

"Always."

He smiled. "Hand me the folders."

* * *

"How far is your apartment from here, then?"

"Half-hour walk. Fifteen minutes if I'm making the effort."

"You know," he began, trying to sound as casual as possible. "You're welcome to crash at my place if you're staying here late. It's only five minutes away." Realising how that may sound, he quickly added, "There's a guest room and a spare bathroom. Definitely more comfortable than falling asleep on your desk."

"Thanks," she smiled. "But I'm heading back to Suna tomorrow evening, so it won't be necessary."

His face fell slightly. "How long for?"

She shrugged. "Until we need to think about the Chunin Exams, I imagine."

"Well, it's gonna be strange not having you around. It almost feels like you're a citizen of Konoha, now."

A light laugh escaped her throat. "I'm glad. We've come a long way since the days of our villages hating each other."

"Yeah. Suna's not all that bad," he murmured, though in his mind, his words were more figurative than literal.

"Konoha has its charm," she mused. "I'm gonna miss it."

"I'm sure it will miss you, too."

* * *

Somehow, her eyes had closed, and her body had sunk down her chair this time. Her pen had long fallen on the floor, and her mouth hung open in a very unladylike way, but that only endeared her more to him. He smiled to himself and cleared her desk, sorting the leftover paper so she'd know what she still had to finish later, then scooped her up bridal-style and carried her out of the office.

When he got out onto the streets, however, it occurred to him that he had _no_ idea where she lived. In all the years they'd spent working together, they'd discussed their jobs, friends, families and interests, but not once had she given him any indication of where she stayed each time she was in the village.

 _Troublesome_ , he thought to himself. He supposed there was only one other option.

As he gently laid her down in the guest bed and took off her sandals, he admired her sleeping form. This was perhaps the only time when she wouldn't be nagging him, or snapping at him, or making jokes at his expense. Hearing her soft snores, seeing her chest rise and fall with each breath, it made him remember just how human, just how beautiful she was. It was something he often forgot.

"Goodnight, Temari," he whispered, closing the door silently behind him.

* * *

The next morning, he went to check up on her, only to find the guest room empty and devoid of any sign that she'd been there in the first place.

Except for a single note, written hastily and left in the sheets.

 _Thanks for carrying me here and letting me sleep somewhere comfortable. I would've told you goodbye in person, but we're both busy people. Maybe some things are easier said than done._

 _I'll see you around. Hopefully you'll be able to catch some Zs without me making you file things for me._

 _T_

 _P.S. You better not have tried anything last night, Nara._

He almost laughed, knowing full-well that had he made any sort of unwarranted move, he'd have had the lights beaten out of him without question. Who would even take the risk? The slightly tipsy version of himself had mustered enough courage to stroke her face that one night, finding it to be unexpectedly smooth and perfect, only confirming the feelings he'd repressed for some time now. He was amazed she hadn't thrown him out of the window when she saw his hand draped over her the next morning.

Late that night, he was restless and unable to quiet his mind for even a second. Frustratingly awake, he chose to wander the streets of Konoha for a short while, passing by some familiar shops and landmarks, only stopping when he reached one particular building that before had never incited any of his attention. But there was something different when he stood outside it this time.

The lights weren't on, and he knew why.

* * *

 _Epilogue_

* * *

Temari stamped the last document, placing it on the 'completed' pile with great joy and relief. It was the first time in months that she'd exhausted all the paperwork she'd been given, and she was almost at a loss for what to do now. Go home? Shower? Eat? Live? Her evening was wide open, and the prospect of sleeping at an appropriate time in her own bed was the most exciting aspect of it all.

Before she could celebrate, however, there was a knock at the door.

 _Oh God, no_ , she thought silently. _If that's someone here to bring me more forms to sign..._

"Come in," she said reluctantly.

The surprise that greeted her seemed to illuminate the whole room. These four walls that had once seemed so bland and lifeless, were now filled with a certain hope and the promise of a new beginning.

"Nara," she breathed, reminding herself that he was real, and he was in Suna, three days away from where he should be. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He simply stood there and smirked at her. "The lights were on."


	7. Glass

**A/N:** Wrapping up ShikaTema Week 2017 with a ShikaTemaDai modern AU! I hope you've enjoyed this one-shot series as much as I've enjoyed writing for these prompts. Thank you for fangirling over this pairing with me. Of course, there's plenty more ShikaTema content on my profile, with more to come (my FF account is basically year-round ShikaTema Week). As always, it means so much when people tell me they're enjoying my work or just want to have a conversation - I'm all ears, so come say hi! I'll see you in the next fic ^_~

* * *

"Still up?"

Ready to turn in for the night after a long evening of paperwork, Shikamaru walked into his bedroom to find his wife thinking long and hard about what to pack for their week away.

"I just don't want to forget anything," she mumbled, attempting to sort through the mess she'd compiled on the floor of potential suitcase contents.

"Relax, Tem. It's just seven days."

"But we'll be so far from home and he's so young and this is our first trip as a family-"

"Shh," he murmured, sitting down beside her on their bed and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. Instinctively she laid her head in the crevice of his neck, where it slotted in perfectly. "We've organised this to the T. There's nothing to worry about."

She took his free hand in her own. "I hope you're right, genius."

He shrugged. "I just like to plan."

"But there are some things we can't plan for. What if he hates it? What if it's a traumatic experience for him and he's a nervous flyer for the rest of his life?!"

"If he's inherited anything from me, Tem, it's the ability to sleep through just about anything. If he's not annoyingly excited about the whole thing, I imagine he'll just use the time to nap instead."

"But it's so _long_ -"

He interrupted her by taking her chin in his fingers and raising her lips to meet his. It was moments like this that made him see just how much she cared for their son, and in turn it reminded him of just how much he cared for her. She was being troublesome as usual, creating problems that didn't exist in the first place, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Her love was all or nothing, and he could never take it for granted.

When she pulled away, she muttered, "Stop trying to distract me. If we forget our passports tomorrow, it's on you." Her tone was stern, but the corners of her mouth edged upwards into a smile.

"Just trying to take your mind off of things."

"I'm worrying for three these days. Try harder."

He didn't hesitate to comply.

* * *

" _Every time_."

"Try taking your earrings out _before_ you go through security for a change."

"Not a chance. These were a gift from Asuma. Besides, you'd think their technology would be sophisticated enough to distinguish earrings from a bomb."

"Shikamaru!" Temari hissed. "You can't say things like that here. We're in an airport, for God's sake."

"Sorry," he mumbled apologetically. "I'm just not a fan of being felt up by a stranger for trying to honour the memory of my late sensei."

"You didn't seem to mind it last night," she smirked.

"Emphasis on ' _stranger_ ', Tem." He covered Shikadai's ears and whispered, "If it were you, I'd put up with it all day everyday."

She rolled her eyes. " _Men_."

Shikamaru merely grinned at her. "Shikadai, look!" he said with an uncharacteristic enthusiasm that parenthood seemed to bring out in him. Temari found it fascinating that the laziest, most apathetic person she'd ever met had suddenly became interested in everything now that he had a mini-me to show the world to. "You see that thing taking off into the sky? That's an aeroplane. _Aer-o-plane_."

Shikadai was enthralled by the sight, eyes wide and bright as if it were Christmas morning, the vivid teal of his irises reflected clearly in the expansive windows like the surface of still water. Shikamaru carried him closer to the glass so that the one-year-old could press his nose up against it and gaze in awe at the sheer number of aircraft dotted around the tarmac. Temari followed suit, standing beside her husband and their child, staring out at the dozens of jets arriving and departing. When she noticed the way her family was mirrored in the pane, she couldn't help but smile and realise how lucky she was, and how excited she was that this would be the first adventure of many together.

"What are you thinking?" he murmured.

She wouldn't tell him. He already knew.

"I'm thinking that there was a perfume in duty free I might splurge on."

* * *

"Let me take him."

Temari leaned in as Shikamaru transferred their son to her. He inhaled deeply.

"Mm."

"What?"

"You smell _really_ good."

She chuckled. "I'm glad you like it. I'll be wearing it a _lot_."

"I look forward to it," he grinned. " _Especially_ at the end of a long, tiring day..."

"Shikamaru," she muttered. "You're insatiable."

"You should take it as a compliment."

"How we've managed to keep it at only one kid so far is beyond me..."

There was a resounding chime over the PSA system. " _Flight 80124X to London is now boarding. Passengers aboard this flight should proceed to gate 36B."_

 _"_ That's us. Let's go."

* * *

As they shuffled into their seats, the woman sitting across from them smiled when she saw Shikadai's bright green eyes staring at them; he struggled in Temari's arms, waving a chubby forearm at the new face he wanted to meet.

"Slow down, kid," Temari chuckled. "Sorry," she said to the her. "He's a curious one. I think he gets it from his dad."

"No, no, I was just about to comment on how cute he is," the woman smiled. "How old is he?"

"One year," Temari replied. "You can hold him, if you'd like. He's really good with people."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. If anything I think it'd calm him down. Seems he _really_ wants to say hello." Temari shuffled out from her seat in the aisle and put Shikadai gently into the woman's arms. Immediately, Shikadai stopped fussing and put his tiny hands on her face, wanting to explore this foreign skin and smell.

"I think he likes you," Temari grinned. "He's gonna forget who his mom is, if he's not careful."

"Oh, not a chance," the woman responded. "My sister recently had a baby, and _boy_ does that little girl _hate_ me!"

"I'm sure that's not true."

"No, if I so much as come near to her cot, she'll start bawling. So this is a pleasant surprise."

"In fact, I think he's fallen asleep," Temari nodded towards her son, whose eyes were now closed and resting against the woman's shoulder. "That's another thing he gets from his dad."

"These are all good traits, mind you," Shikamaru interjected.

"Definitely. I always get a little worried when I'm sitting near a baby on a flight, but this guy seems _very_ cooperative," the woman beamed.

"Well, this is great news. If he starts screaming while everyone's sleeping, I'll just pass him to you," Temari laughed.

* * *

As the aircraft reached cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign had been switched off, Shikamaru carefully unbuckled his son, raising the armrest between their seats so he could place Shikadai on his lap and offer him a better view of the world outside.

The toddler's face lit up with excitement and wonder as he leaned forward and placed a hand against the glass. A distinguishable map had disappeared beneath layers of fluffy white clouds that looked so soft and voluminous, Shikadai seemed to complain that he couldn't touch them.

"This flight is just an excuse for you to show him your favourite activity, isn't it?" Temari rolled her eyes, but nonetheless she smiled at the picture of her two boys admiring the clouds together.

"What can I say?" her husband grinned. "It's addictive."

Shikadai tapped on the window, then knocked it with a little more fervour before his father stopped him in his tracks.

"No, Shikadai," he said sternly. "The glass is there for a reason. We can look outside, and see how pretty it is, but we also don't hurt ourselves. Planes can fly, Shikadai, but you and I can't."

"I think an open window would lead to a serious cabin decompression issue, also," Temari muttered under her breath, returning to her book.

"Look through the glass all you want, kid," Shikamaru encouraged. "It's our portal to the skies."

He said that as if Shikadai wasn't already attached to the glass, and he'd probably stay that way for the duration of the flight.


End file.
